Vanessa Hudgens

About Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Anne Hudgens is an American actress, singer, and producer born in Salinas, California, on December 14, 1988.

She spent her childhood performing in local musical theater productions along the West Coast before briefly attending the Orange County High School of the Arts. As her career began taking off, she transitioned entirely to homeschooling from the eighth grade onward to balance her academics with professional acting.

Her television and movie credits began with a feature film debut in the indie drama Thirteen in 2003, followed by a career-defining breakthrough as Gabriella Montez in Disney Channel's High School Musical trilogy from 2006 to 2008. Over the years, her career expanded into major film releases like Bad Boys for Life, critically praised musical projects such as Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tick, Tick... Boom!, and the festive streaming franchise The Princess Switch on Netflix, which she both starred in and produced. On television, she led the comedy series Powerless and performed in live musical events like Grease Live! and Rent: Live.

Her music accomplishments include contributing to multi-platinum Disney soundtracks and releasing two solo pop-studio albums under Hollywood Records, titled V in 2006 and Identified in 2008. Her musical background also paved the way for her theater accomplishments, notably making her Broadway debut in the title role of the 2015 revival of Gigi.

She was born to the late Gregory Hudgens, a firefighter, and Gina Guangco, an office worker. She has a younger sister named Stella, who also works as an actress and model. She married former professional baseball player Cole Tucker in December 2023. The couple shares two children, a son born in July 2024 and a daughter born in November 2025.